


Campaign Promises

by MechBull



Category: The Red Line (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:59:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24078616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: Tia Young's running for Senate, so it's not the best time for news about the daughter she gave up for adoption to come out. Things are about to get complicated for her communications director. (AU)
Relationships: Liam Bhatt/Daniel Calder
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

“You complete me,” Daniel called after his daughter, smiling as she blew exaggerated kisses back at him.

He settled back against his pillows, sighing softly as he listened to Harrison’s quiet grumbling coming from the phone. He held it up to his ear, finally greeting his husband. As Harrison tried to salvage the fact that he forgot something as simple as milk – and only milk, Daniel moved his glasses and papers to the side. He stretched out, planning to go to sleep for real, once they were off the phone. He only hoped Jira was getting ready for bed herself.

Then Harrison’s next comment completely surprised him, but more because his tone sounded off than anything else.

“Did you see that speech from Tia Young?”

“The woman running for Senate?” Daniel asked, furrowing his brow. “I caught bits of it when I was making dinner. She seems good.”

“Yeah. I…think we should donate to her campaign.”

Daniel tilted his head curiously, although he knew that Harrison couldn’t see the expression anyway. “I mean…the speech was well-written and she’s interesting, I agree. I would like to learn a bit more about her policies before I start handing out pamphlets or put a sign in front of the house.”

“Look, Daniel – oh, crap. I have to get off here for the milk. Just – I’ll tell you all you need to know about her when I get home.”

“If you wake me up for that, I won’t be happy.”

“What if I wake you up for other reasons?”

Daniel chuckled. “Well, I probably wouldn’t be _unhappy_.”

He could imagine Harrison’s smile, even as he heard the recorded announcement of the train as it arrived at the stop. “Love you,” Harrison said. “See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Daniel hung up, then put the phone on the bedside table. He relaxed, letting his eyes drift closed. He knew it wouldn’t take long to fall back asleep, but part of him did want to stay awake. Not to hear whatever political bug had gotten into Harrison, obviously. For…other reasons. 

But it was a lost cause, and he was sound asleep within moments.

**

“Morning.”

Tia twisted in surprise, watching as Liam walked into the house without so much as a knock. She faced Ethan and they shared a look; his eyeroll nearly made Tia laugh out loud. 

“Liam, it’s 7:30. Did you even sleep?”

“I got five hours.”

“Good grief. Grab some coffee before you start talking campaign. Is there really that much response to my launch speech?”

Liam shook his head, passing them to help himself to a mug from the cupboard. He picked up the pot, leaning one hip against the counter as he poured. 

“I haven’t checked too much actually. Unfortunately, you’ve been bumped from the headlines. Someone else made more important news.”

Tia waited curiously, watching as he pulled the newspaper out from under his armpit. He unfolded it with one hand and placed it in front of her and Ethan. They both leaned in to read, even as Liam spoke again.

“Cop shooting. Which means race and police brutality and black lives and blue lives and fricking all lives just took center stage. It’s going to be a tricky needle to thread, so Gordon will try to get you to misstep.”

“Well, I mean, I’m anti-cops shooting unarmed black people so – ” Tia cut off mid-response as the name in the story below the sensationalistic headline suddenly registered. “Oh my God.”

Somewhere beyond her suddenly fuzzy senses, she could hear both Liam and Ethan trying to get her attention, but she was only focused on the story. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. She hadn’t heard or read that name for a long time, and while she had occasionally thought about the man – wondering if he’d be proud of her, but even more, wondering about the little girl that connected them – she’d been so focused on so many other things lately, that she hadn’t even done that in a while. 

“Harrison Brennan,” she whispered. 

Her eyes skimmed fast down the page, bypassing the details of the incident, which she didn’t think she could stomach just then. Maybe never. Then she arrived at the almost tacked-on sentence at the end. 

_Dr. Brennan is survived by his husband, Daniel Calder, and their 17-year-old daughter, Jira._

Jira. 

“T!” 

She looked up to meet Ethan’s concerned eyes. Judging by the volume with which he had just said her name, she must have been quite detached from the others in the room. And he must have been able to tell from her own expression that something was wrong. He reached out, grabbing her hand and squeezing her fingers. 

“What is it?”

“The – the man who was shot. It’s him.”

“What do you mean?”

“He…adopted her.”

Ethan blinked once, then exhaled. He leaned back in his chair, looking back at her with wide eyes. 

“Adopted who?” Liam asked, and they both turned toward him. “What are you talking about?”

Tia took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she exhaled. “He adopted my daughter.”

Liam didn’t respond for a long moment. She could see him warring against multiple reactions. They had been friends for a long time, although not close enough for her to have ever shared that part of her past with him. She knew that he was a good enough person to recognize how upsetting this would be for her. But she also knew that he had devoted most of the last several years to her political career, and with Suzanne, was leading the charge on the Senate run. He wouldn’t be able to take this news in solely as her friend, no matter how much she wished he could.

Liam ran a hand across his face and turned away. “Damn,” he muttered.

**

Jira blindly reached out, finding her dad’s hand and holding tight as they walked away from the grave. He squeezed back briefly, before letting go and putting his arm around her shoulders instead. He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. The gesture made her want to cry again, but she was all cried out. Seriously, she was pretty sure she was dehydrated – all of the water in her body had seeped out of her tear ducts over the last week or so.

“Do we have to go to the thing after this?”

“Unfortunately. People will want to eat crappy sandwiches and tell us platitudes. It’s tradition.”

“Ugh.”

Her dad nodded in agreement. 

“I don’t even know half the people here.”

He looked around at the crowd dispersing to various cars but didn’t speak again until they arrived at the black limo set aside for them. The driver from the funeral home opened the door, and they both climbed into the back seat. 

“I don’t either,” he told her, leaning closer like it was a secret. It made her smile, even though it wasn’t very funny. “A lot of people are here for themselves, not for Dad or us.”

“I think I saw the mayor.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Vultures.”

Her dad sighed. He rested back against the seat, and she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. He turned his own head towards her, and she felt his cheek smoosh against her forehead. Jira closed her eyes. 

It was the latest in a series of worst days, and it wasn’t over yet.

**

Tia stared out the window, watching the rain pelt against it, heralding that summer was definitely turning into fall. It had been a long few months, and the campaign was really starting to take its toll. Among other things. With a sigh, she focused back on the newspaper in her lap. Paul Evans’ picture stared back at her, under the headline that there would be no federal charges against him. It infuriated her, but she wasn’t allowed to respond outside of a carefully worded statement written by Liam. She ultimately had agreed with him and Ethan and Suzanne that she would downplay any personal connection to the case and merely comment on the issues when she was directly asked about them. And she would make no attempt to contact Jira or Daniel Calder. There was no need to confuse or upset things for anyone. She even was one of the few political figures in the city who avoided the memorial service.

In fact, in the news and for many people in the community, it had started to fade into the background of other events and concerns. But she had a feeling that with this latest development, it would come back up again. 

There was a knock on the door. Tia shook her head to clear it and turned toward the door. She shouted out a greeting and waited as the visitor pushed open the door. The person was a stranger to her, and she furrowed her brow in slight confusion, even as she stood to greet the woman. 

“I’m Noelle,” she introduced herself. She sounded incredibly nervous, and she turned to close the door behind her. “I – work for Nathan Gordon,”

Tia raised her eyebrows, curiosity vying with surprise. She gestured at the chair on the other side of the desk. She waited for Noelle to sit before taking her own seat, then she leaned forward, arms folded over the papers in front of her. 

“I’ve been assigned to do opposition research before the debate,” Noelle said, still clearly terrified but becoming stronger with every word. “And the other day, I interviewed Isaiah.”

Tia leaned back in her seat, exhaling sharply. “I see.”

“I also – I also was able to get copies of the adoption papers.”

“Those are sealed.”

Noelle had the good grace to blush. “Not when you have pockets as deep or friends as well-placed as Nathan’s.”

Tia shook her head, looking away in anger. 

“I have…no doubt that he’ll use this to embarrass or discredit you, but – ” Noelle heaved an annoyed sigh. “It’s dirty pool. That poor girl’s been through enough and doesn’t need to be a pawn in this. Maybe – I don’t know, maybe, it will be better if you get to control the message.”

Tia faced her again. “I’ve never met her or talked to her. I don’t know what she knows about me.” She shook her head. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured that conversation going.”

Noelle offered her a grim smile. Then she stood. “I think I can stall him a few days.”

Tia stood as well, holding her hand out to shake Noelle’s. “I appreciate this more than I can say.”

“I’m a mother too,” was her only response.

“Thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

Liam exhaled nervously, smoothing his tie down his stomach as he waited near the main entrance to Jane Byrne High. He still wasn’t sure this was the best way to handle this, but it was what they had come up with in the frantic meeting after Tia had called with the news. Jira and her father had to be told, that much was clear. They had to have some say. It wouldn’t be kind to do it over the phone. It wouldn’t be wise to go to their house, where Jira might be, when they agreed it would be best for Calder to know first and decide how to proceed with Jira. And it would be difficult to convince Calder to come to the campaign office or somewhere without explaining why – or drawing unnecessary attention. So…the school. 

The second issue they had to figure out was who would tell him. Again, Tia showing up at the school would be weird, and possible gossip fodder if she were recognized by a student or teacher. Not to mention, an encounter between Tia and Calder would likely lead to some extreme reactions. It would have to be someone more removed, someone less likely to respond emotionally. That took Ethan and Suzanne out as well. No, it had to be Liam. 

Unfortunately.

It had been several minutes since he registered with the office and the announcement had gone over the loudspeaker. Calder should be there any moment, he guessed. Liam wished he had practiced what he was going to say. 

He turned around, looking back at the front doors and resisting the urge to run away. He would help Tia any way he could, and in fact had spent the last several years doing just that, but this was different. This was…disrupting the lives of innocent victims. Again. 

“Hello, Mister…?”

Liam faced the direction of the voice, then exhaled sharply. Damn. He’d seen Calder in newspaper pictures and on the news, of course, but those hadn’t done him justice. He was one of the more attractive men that Liam had ever seen up close. The curious smile accentuated surprisingly sexy crow’s feet, and those combined with the confused tilt of his head made Liam a little weak in the knees. 

“Bhatt,” he finally managed to say. “Ah, Liam Bhatt.”

He stuck his hand out awkwardly, trying not to react to the feel of Calder’s skin when he took it and shook. 

“Daniel Calder. What can I do for you?”

Oh God. Liam’s mind went to all sorts of delightful ways he could answer that. He swallowed, shook his head briefly, and tried to remind himself that this man was a grieving widower. 

“Mr. Calder, I’m the communications director for Tia Young’s Senate campaign.”

Before he could continue, Calder sighed, turning away briefly. He faced Liam again after a moment with an incredibly annoyed expression. 

“Look, this whole thing is politicized enough. We’ve already been approached by three different – ”

“Mr. Calder, excuse me,” Liam interrupted. Judging by that reaction, he didn’t know of Tia’s connection to Jira. Tia had said that he was not an active part of the process, that he had adopted later. She hadn’t known how much he had learned from Brennan, but it apparently was not that much. Which just made Liam’s job harder. “I’m here because we’re trying to minimize the impact on you and your daughter.”

Calder’s mouth snapped shut, and he looked at Liam skeptically. “What do you mean?” he asked. 

“Did your husband ever mention Tia to you?”

“No. Well, yes, he said something about her speech the night he died, actually, but…” He shook his head, shrugging. 

“Never before then?”

“Why don’t you just tell me what you’re doing here?” he responded, somewhat tetchily. 

Liam supposed he couldn’t blame him. He was admittedly taking his time getting to the point. He took a deep breath. 

“Tia and your husband met several years ago. A little over 17 years ago, to be exact.”

Calder furrowed his brow, shaking his head. It took barely a moment for him to connect the dots, and then he stepped back. He inhaled unsteadily, looking like he’d been hit by a train or something. 

“She’s the – ” he said weakly. “She’s the mother.”

“Yes,” Liam confirmed. 

“Why – why – why are you here? Why now?”

Liam sighed. “Nathan Gordon has found out. He will likely say something. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t already.”

Calder cursed, turning and walking several feet away. He stood, hands on his hips as he looked up at the ceiling. After taking a few deep breaths, he faced Liam again, advancing on him with a sort of righteous fury. If Liam had thought Calder was intimidatingly hot before, it was nothing compared to just then. 

“My daughter’s life has been destroyed this year. If you think that I will just – ”

“Mr. Calder, believe me, I understand – ”

“No, you don’t. How could you possibly?”

Liam blinked. He hesitated, then nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I don’t understand. But I can tell you that this information _is_ going to come out. Gordon’s aim will be to discredit Tia with it, to make it something shameful. Tia doesn’t want that, and I’m sure you don’t either. It will be better if she says something first. It will be better if…you and your daughter help form part of a, a united front.”

“It will be better for her, you mean. Her campaign.”

Liam shrugged. “I won’t deny that,” he allowed, “but – ”

“I think you should leave now.”

“Mr. Calder – ”

“Right now.”

Liam closed his eyes and sighed. He didn’t wait long, though, because Calder was already walking away. Liam hurried after him.

“Wait.”

Calder whirled on him, eyes flashing furiously. Liam took a step back. After taking a half second to collect himself, he pulled his card out of his pocket and held it out.

“We won’t say anything until we hear from you. I can’t promise the same for Gordon.”

Calder glared at him, but he took the card, nearly giving Liam a paper cut as he ripped it from his fingers. Then he left again, disappearing from the entrance hall within only a few minutes. Liam closed his eyes and shook his head.

“That went well,” he muttered to himself.

**

“Hey, punchkin?”

“Hmm?”

She didn’t look up from her tablet. Based on the sounds, Daniel guessed she was playing with the surgery simulation again. He waited another couple seconds for her to acknowledge him for real, and then he reached out and took it.

“Dad! What?”

“I want to talk to you.”

“OK, just – let me save it.”

He sighed, then handed it back to her with a pointed eyebrow raise. She pressed a couple buttons before putting it aside. Then she focused on him, with the kind of annoyed impatience only a teenager could fully express. Daniel steeled himself, moving to sit next to her on the couch. Even then, he couldn’t quite figure out how to start the conversation, despite the fact that he’d been trying to come up with something all afternoon. He stared at his hands, spreading his fingers out briefly.

“Dad, what is it?” Jira asked, slightly more concerned. She must be picking up on his mood.

“I…was approached by someone today,” he began. “At school.”

“OK. What did they want?”

“They wanted – they – they were there on behalf of your mother.”

Jira didn’t respond. The silence was deafening. Finally, Daniel looked at her. She seemed completely astonished. 

“My mother?” she whispered.

Daniel nodded, swallowing against a lump in his throat. He stared at his hands again, remembering how she gripped his finger when she was a little baby. 

“She – ” he paused, clearing his throat when he heard how rough his voice sounded. “She wants to meet you. But it’s a complicated situation, so we’re going to have to talk about it more. First, I just…want to know what you think.”

He sensed Jira watching him for him a beat. She repositioned herself on the couch, folding her legs up under herself as she turned to face him fully. She reached out, taking a hold of his hand. Daniel stared at their interlocked fingers before looking up at her.

“I love you, Dad,” she told him, rather unexpectedly.

He exhaled, nodding. “I love you too, punchkin.”

“I – I have – in my room, I have a bunch of papers I found on the web site for the adoption agency,” she said in a rush. “Forms for trying to make contact and stuff. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you for help with them. I – I want – I need her.”

It felt like he’d been stabbed or something. Daniel wondered if it hurt this much when Harrison was shot. Did a bullet to the back compare to this sort of – he shook his head. He forced himself to breathe, reminding himself that he’d already sworn to agree to whatever she decided. 

“Why? Why do you need her?”

“Because…she looks like me. I need to know – what it’s like.”

Daniel sighed, leaning back against the couch. He couldn’t deny her point. “We should’ve talked about that more. Being black, being white.”

“We did,” Jira reminded him, calming when she realized his reaction wasn’t as bad as she had apparently feared it might be. Probably with good reason. He wondered how he would have responded if she had come to him about this first, with no warning.

“Not enough,” he argued. 

She leaned against him, and he wrapped his arm around her, reaching up to stroke at her hair. They were silent for a few moments, then Daniel breathed in and out deeply. They still had to talk. 

“If you – if _we_ meet her,” he said slowly, “it’s going to be very complicated. It would be under any circumstances, but…honey, it’s Tia Young, the woman running for Senate.”

“What? Really?!”

He nodded. “People will say things about her, about you. What happened to Dad will become part of the campaign.”

Jira scoffed. “People already say things about us. It already is political.”

Daniel tilted his head in acknowledgment. “Still, I want you to think carefully about this. It’s my job to protect you, but I don’t know what the right thing to do here is. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. Although you have to agree that you won’t do anything without me there, at least at first.”

Jira nodded solemnly, and Daniel was relieved that she took his concerns seriously. “I promise.”

Despite his warnings and her promises, though, he wasn’t particularly surprised when she told him the next morning at breakfast that she still wanted to meet Tia. He lost his own appetite then, even as he tried to remind himself that it wouldn’t change how she felt about him, or the fact that she was _his_ daughter. He knew that, intellectually, but it was hard to fully accept just then.

And if he were entirely honest, he was feeling other things when Jira went upstairs to finish getting ready, leaving him alone to make the phone call. He was feeling other things when he looked at the name and number on the business card and finally dialed. He was feeling other things when he waited for an answer. 

When the man on the other end said hello, Daniel couldn’t find his own voice to respond. 

He might have been something of a dick, but Liam Bhatt certainly had made a memorable and not entirely negative first impression. 

“Hello?” he repeated.

Daniel cleared his throat. “Mr. Bhatt, this is Daniel Calder.”

There was a noise on the other end that sounded like Bhatt had dropped something, a pen clattering onto a desk maybe. 

“Yes, hi. I’m glad you called.”

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly. He felt vaguely like he had when he was in eighth grade and he called up Eric Michaels with some made-up question about the math homework. Daniel shook his head, clearing it of the memory. He didn’t know why that would have sprung to his mind just then. 

“So, what’s next?” Daniel asked.

“You tell me,” Bhatt replied. “Tia feels you should be in charge of this as much as possible.”

Daniel exhaled, turning slightly and running a hand through his hair. “I know…” he began, “I know this will have to be announced soon. But I think that just once, just the first meeting, shouldn’t be about politics. They should meet, talk, see each other how they might have done if they had just sought each other out.”

“I agree.”

“OK.” Daniel sighed, feeling relieved. “Then…maybe Tia could come over here for dinner.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?!”

“We…really shouldn’t delay this any longer than we have to.”

“Fine. Tomorrow.”

After agreeing on a few more practicalities, Daniel hung up. 

“Tomorrow,” he muttered to himself.

He supposed that, if nothing else, a short timetable gave him less opportunity to freak out about the whole thing.


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel smiled softly into his water glass as he took a sip. The dinner was going better than he thought it would – and almost as good as he hoped it would. When Tia had first shown up, everyone was a little awkward. Jira clearly didn’t know how to greet her and cycled through attempts at a wave and a hug before finally just shaking Tia’s hand. 

But by the time they got their plates organized, everyone just seemed to realize the situation was so strange, they were all allowed to laugh about it. Then the nerves just disappeared. 

Daniel had to admit that he was still feeling rather odd about the whole thing, fighting jealousy and concern and about a dozen other emotions. He had never wished that Harrison was still around more, because he knew Harrison would understand. Maybe even feel the same way. And they could reassure each other and support each other, so as not to ruin things for Jira. Instead, Daniel was on his own, and he just had to remind himself that Tia being in Jira’s life didn’t somehow diminish his own importance or role. He had to remind himself that he should be _happy_ that Jira had more support and love. She could never get as much of that as she deserved, as far as Daniel was concerned. 

He glanced at Jira and smiled again, somewhat amused by how much interest she was showing in Tia’s campaign. She had been as informed as any high school student ever was, but she’d never been a political junkie. All day, she had been doing Google research on the election and the Senate and various government policies. In just a few hours, she had asked Daniel more questions about the history of the country and state than she ever had before. Hell, he might be able to convince her to sign up for the Government class in the spring. He finally got to feel what Harrison did all those years, and it felt good.

At the moment, Tia was telling a story about some campaign event, laughing about all the things that had gone wrong. Jira was hanging on every word. Daniel focused on Tia again, trying to pay attention as well. 

“You’d think we’d be used to town hall speeches by now, but I guess not!” Tia concluded.

“How many times have you run for office?” Jira asked curiously.

“Well, this is my first Senate campaign, obviously, but I’m in my second term as an alderman, so this is number three. Not counting class president senior year! Which I definitely wasn’t popular enough to win.”

“Running for Senate must be very different than alderman,” Daniel observed. 

“Oh God, yes,” Tia confirmed. “The only thing that’s the same is how much we’re all learning on the fly. That first campaign, though, was something special. We had a budget of about 20 bucks, but we had passion and conviction and a lot more youthful energy than we do now. There was only a handful of us for a long time – Ethan and me, my sister Suzanne, Liam and his boyfriend at the time. We were – ”

Daniel choked on the water he’d been drinking, interrupting her. Both Tia and Jira turned to him, and Daniel waved away any concern. He patted his chest as he coughed a couple times, then took another drink to try to calm his throat. 

“Sorry. Wrong pipe,” he said, his voice gravelly. “You were saying?”

Jira looked at him for one more second before turning back to Tia. Tia herself ever so briefly narrowed her eyes at Daniel, as if she knew something was off but couldn’t figure out what it was. But there was nothing off, Daniel tried to convince himself. He had just choked. It was an accident, and it certainly wasn’t prompted by anything Tia had said.

**

Liam gnawed at his thumbnail, feeling vaguely sick to his stomach. The press conference was going as well as he could have hoped, he supposed. There had been a buzz of conversation when Jira walked out onto the stage with Tia. Liam wondered what the journalists in the audience had thought – maybe that there was some kind of initiative related to her dad or something. When Tia finally explained the situation, there had been nothing but silence for two or three seconds. And then hands shot up around the room, with journalists shouting for Tia’s and Jira’s attention.

They were maintaining calm with their responses at least. Jira was charming. Tia was honest, yet unapologetic. Really, the person having the hardest time holding it together was Liam.

That was made even worse when Daniel Calder stepped up next to him.

“Did you write that speech?” he asked without so much as a hello.

Liam hum-grunted in response, trying to force his attention back on his boss but unable to ignore the body heat coming from Calder. He was standing surprisingly close. 

“I mean, of course you did,” Calder continued. “Who else would have?”

His tone was just challenging enough. Liam sighed, his eyes closing. He had a feeling they were about to have a _disagreement_. Since day one, Calder seemed convinced that Liam only cared about – 

“What exactly do you want to say, Mr. Calder?” he asked sharply. 

“Nothing. Just impressed by how many different ways you tried to use my teenage daughter and dead husband to win a campaign in just a few minutes.”

Liam worked his jaw, struggling not to respond in anger. He tried counting to ten, but only made it to three.

“You seem to think I’m thrilled about all this, like it’s the best thing that ever happened, when that couldn’t be further from reality. Truth is, your daughter is a huge complication that I definitely wish I didn’t have to deal with.”

OK, that maybe came out harsher than he’d intended. Something about Calder just made him…ugh. After a moment, he risked glancing over. 

Calder was glaring at him, his tongue pressed under his lower lip as if he was trying to stop himself from responding. Without a word, he turned and walked away. 

Forgetting the press conference, Liam quickly followed. He wasn’t sure exactly why, as he had far more important things to worry about than continuing that particular, futile conversation. Nonetheless, he couldn’t stop his feet. He caught up to Calder in the small room two doors down, where they all had met to get on the same page before the start of the press conference. 

Calder was facing the center of the room, one hand on his hip and the other rubbing across his mouth. He jumped in surprise when Liam slammed the door shut behind himself, then he turned to face him. His expression was unreadable. 

“I am not going to apologize for thinking of this campaign,” Liam stated. He was so tired of being treated like he was some kind of heartless, selfish jackass when he was not responsible for any part of the situation. “I’m doing my job. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into it.”

“Yes, well, nothing compared to what I’ve invested in my daughter and my family, so excuse me – ”

“Maybe you’re too damn invested, if you can’t even see how much she actually – ”

“It is _my job_ to protect her. It is the _only_ thing that matters.”

“Maybe you need something more in your life, then.” 

It honestly felt more like a statement of concern rather than a criticism. Liam wasn’t entirely sure where that came from. Calder scoffed, shaking his head as he turned away. Judging by his reaction, he didn’t take it at all kindly. 

“Don’t tell me what I need,” he said bitterly. 

Liam sighed. Some of the anger had left him, leaving him only tired. Truthfully, he was pretty sure he and Calder could actually be friends. They had gotten off on the wrong foot, and never quite figured out how to get past that. Part of him realized that it was easy for Calder to dislike and blame him for uprooting their lives even more than they already had been. As much as he no doubt hated Evans, there was no way that he could confront him. And as much as he no doubt had _conflicted_ feelings about Tia, he couldn’t take those out on her or her family. Not if he wanted to maintain his relationship with Jira. So, he needed to focus his ire at someone, and Liam was convenient. He could guess all this, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. 

“Actually, you need to stop punishing the wrong people for what happened to you,” he pointed out. 

Calder’s expression looked horrifyingly devastated for a moment, before he managed to hide it. “You need to mind your own business,” he responded, clearly trying – and failing – to aim for the same kind of argumentative tone that had been there just moments ago. “Oh wait, this is your business, and that’s all that apparently matters to you. Maybe I’m not the only one that needs something else in their lives.”

“Ugh,” Liam groaned, dropping his head back and rolling his eyes. His feelings of understanding and compassion towards Calder were hanging on by a thread. He really got under Liam’s skin, and he didn’t know why he had such an effect. 

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He did know why.

“You need to get the stick out of your ass,” Liam said, and couldn’t quite stop the muttered addition of “And maybe get something else in it.”

Calder heard it, of course, and his eyebrows shut up. “’I need to get laid?’” he asked, his tone mocking yet intriguingly unsteady. “ _That’s_ what you’re going for?”

In for a penny, in for a pound, Liam decided. “Wouldn’t turn it down,” he said with much more bravado than he felt. He shrugged with defiant challenge. 

They stared at each other for a long beat, both breathing rather heavily. Just as Liam was beginning to wonder whether he should apologize, or whether Calder would punch him before he had a chance, Calder stepped closer. And the movement wasn’t exactly threatening. Before he knew it, Liam was moving as well, closing the distance. 

Calder’s momentum knocked them both back into the door. Liam felt the air forced out of him just before their mouths connected in a quite sloppy kiss. In a sense, he could tell that Calder was still angry and he seemed to be continuing their fight in a different form. He nipped at Liam’s lip and forced his tongue into Liam’s mouth and pulled sharply at Liam’s hair. He dug the fingers of his other hand into Liam’s side, holding him in place as he pressed his own hips closer until they came into contact. The feel of Calder’s body against his almost made Liam collapse. 

It took Liam a moment to gather himself, and then he was giving back as good as he got. He buried both hands in Calder’s hair, curling his fingers to scratch at his scalp. He opened his mouth wider even as he tilted his head, the motion deepening their kiss. He breathed harshly through his nose, moaning low in his throat. 

He pushed and pulled, until they switched places and Calder was up against the door, or rather the wall right next to it. Liam broke the kiss, but only so he could drop his mouth to Calder’s neck. He sucked on the skin over his racing pulse, listening to Calder nearly hyperventilate in his ear. Calder pulled him closer with one hand on his lower back, and their hard cocks aligned, spurring Liam on. He ran his teeth along the taut muscle of Calder’s neck, making him hiss and then exhale. Soon, one of Calder’s hands landed on the back of Liam’s head, holding him in place. 

His other hand went to the front of Liam’s pants. Liam had to take a brief moment to calm himself at the sensation of Calder fondling and squeezing his erection. With as much strength as he could manage, he finally moved his own hands down, sneaking them between the wall and Calder’s ass. He tugged him even closer, even as he slid two fingers along the midline seam of his pants. 

“Do you have a condom?” Calder asked breathlessly. Begged might be a more accurate description.

Liam nearly froze at the question. Not because it surprised him, really. More because he realized the answer was not what either of them wanted to hear. 

“No,” he replied, unable to stop the disappointed “ _Fuck_ ” after that. 

Neither one of them moved or spoke for a moment or two. Liam wasn’t sure what to expect next, but it definitely wasn’t Calder shrugging and kissing him again. Liam’s arousal returned full force when Calder started stroking him through his pants again. Calder broke the kiss but only to start sucking and nibbling at Liam’s earlobe.

“We’ll just be creative,” he murmured. 

Liam whimpered, even as he moved his hands to Calder’s belt. He almost had the buckle unhooked when the turning of the doorknob just next to them nearly gave him a heart attack. He dropped the belt like it was on fire and moved to slam his palm flat against the door to hold it in place. Somehow, with equally good reflexes, Calder reached out and flipped the deadbolt. Together, they prevented the person on the other side from entering and catching them in a…less than professional position. 

“Liam?” called out a voice. He was pretty sure it was Suzanne. “You in there?”

“Yes!” he shouted back, still alarmed. “I’m coming!”

Suzanne’s reply of OK was a little suspicious, but Liam was distracted by Calder's own murmured response. 

“Not already, I hope.”

Liam snorted at the joke, but he was still frustrated by the interruption that he knew would be enough to stop everything. He stepped back and Calder let him. They stared at each other, both disheveled and still breathing heavy. Liam’s body hadn’t quite received the message that things had been aborted, and a quick glance at Calder’s crotch revealed he wasn’t the only one. Liam couldn’t look away for a moment or two, and then he forced his gaze up. 

Calder wouldn’t meet his eyes anymore. Instead, he stared down as he buckled his belt, pulled his shirt out to let it hang down, and – with an awkward scratch at his head – turned away. Liam watched as he unlocked and pulled open the door and walked out into the hall. 

He didn’t look back. 

Liam didn’t know if his sexual frustration or complete and utter confusion was stronger.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two days since the press conference. Although the phone was ringing off the hook from reporters trying to get a comment, Jira seemed to be handling everything OK. She had almost convinced Daniel to start letting her get to know Tia without him there to supervise. Tia even was working on helping her young son to understand the situation so they could meet soon. On the surface, most things were going surprisingly well. Daniel wished he could celebrate that. 

But all he could think about was _other things_ that happened the day of the press conference. He had to finally admit to himself that he was attracted to Bhatt. It’d be ridiculous to try to deny that at this point. In fact, he was also willing to admit that that interest was probably partly why he’d been so aggressive and abrasive in their dealings so far. Starting fights and pushing the guy away was easier than figuring out what it all meant and what, if anything, he was going to do about it. 

So, the last two days had been full of circular arguments with himself. Ultimately, it was just too confusing and scary and painful and guilt-inducing. Which was why he knew now what he was going to do about it. He’d just need to have one conversation with Bhatt. Just one. 

And now he was currently standing outside the office door he’d been pointed to, when he’d arrived at the headquarters for Tia’s campaign and asked for Bhatt. Daniel took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly, and knocked. 

“Come in!” 

He almost hurried away but forced himself to turn the doorknob and push the door open instead. Bhatt was seated behind the desk, staring up at Daniel with a sort of dumbfounded expression. Daniel planned to use the surprise of the visit to his advantage. He closed the door behind himself, wanting some privacy for the few moments he’d be in there. He tried to ignore the way Bhatt’s eyebrows popped up as the door latched shut.

“The other day,” he began before Bhatt could say anything. He could hear that he was speaking just a bit too fast, a bit too breathless. But he needed to get this out. “It was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Bhatt stared at him for one second longer, and Daniel maintained a firm expression, refusing to drop eye contact first. He almost sighed with relief when Bhatt was the one to look away. Bhatt picked up his pen and focused back on the papers in front of him. 

“Won’t hear me argue otherwise,” he said, his tone clearly meant to dismiss Daniel. 

Ever so briefly, he felt a pang of disappointment. Maybe some part of him was hoping Bhatt would have fought him on it, pressed him to explain himself or tried to seduce him again. He wouldn’t have allowed it, of course, but it would have been…nice to know that – well, anyway. It was better that they were on the same page, really.

“Good,” Daniel finally remembered to say. 

“Good,” Bhatt concurred. 

Daniel stood there for one second longer, trying to decide if he should say something else. Finally, he just nodded, turned and left the office.

If he thought that was going to clear his mind of thoughts of Bhatt, he was wrong. He obsessed over the conversation all the way home. He also couldn’t stop remembering the feel of his body, the wet press of his lips. Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. It didn’t help, though.

When he got home, though, he found something that definitely distracted him from thoughts of Bhatt. He didn’t quite believe the tape was real until he saw the footage for himself. After that, nothing to do with Bhatt seemed all that important.

**

Liam subtly pumped his fist as Tia perfectly delivered the soundbite they had carefully crafted about the grand jury. This whole situation was such a tightrope for them, but Tia was managing to stay true to herself, stand up for Jira and her fathers, _and_ kill it in the polls.

But by the end of the town hall, Liam had realized he’d celebrated too early. The expression on Tia’s face when the guy in the audience stood was the first clue he had that something was about to go horribly wrong. Then the whole thing totally derailed once he introduced himself as Jira’s biological father. 

Now, Liam stood out in the hall, in front of the door that separated Isaiah from the room where Tia, Jira and her father were talking over the latest developments. Eventually, he’d have to start thinking about how they were going to handle this from the campaign perspective. Right now, his only job was to be an immovable object. This was another situation where it actually worked out well to have someone like him, someone not quite so personally involved. Suzanne had been there with him at first, but she lasted maybe two minutes before she ripped Isaiah a new one and stormed away. Liam, on the other hand, was having no problem ignoring every word out of the guy’s mouth. 

The door opened behind him, and Tia stepped out. She seemed incredibly pissed and yet like she was trying to hide it. Liam didn’t know why she was bothering, to be honest. 

“You can go in,” she said to Isaiah, before walking away. 

Liam looked at her, then glanced through the open door to see Jira and Calder talking quietly to each other. Isaiah entered the room and closed the door. Liam hurried after Tia.

“Is that wise? Them talking with him?” he asked, as soon as he caught up.

“Not in my opinion,” Tia replied, “but they didn’t want to hear it. Jira wanted to meet him, and Daniel allowed it. It’s a mistake, but I guess I don’t get a say.”

With that, she picked up speed, clearly unwilling to continue talking to him. Liam slowed to a stop. He watched after her, twisted to look back at the room, and wondered what to do. Honestly, he should just leave. Go home. If Tia didn’t want to deal with it right now, then there was no other reason for him to be there any longer. And yet…

And yet, he stuck around, waiting conveniently in the path between the meeting room and the door they’d have to exit to get out of the building. He scrolled Twitter and email and everything else he could think of on his phone while waiting. Eventually, it paid off. The door opened, and out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Calder walked out first. He gave Jira and Isaiah some room to say goodbye, walking a bit ahead of them.

And closer to Liam. 

Calder seemed to notice him at about the same time, and he paused before continuing closer. Liam breathed in, bracing himself. They had not talked to each other privately since Calder had suddenly appeared in his office and talked about what a mistake it had been to make out with him. Liam had certainly noticed that _his cock_ didn’t seem to think it had been that big of a mistake, but whatever. He wasn’t about to let on that the rejection had affected him in any way. 

“Mr. Calder,” he said as neutrally as possible. 

He nodded in response, then looked back over his shoulder. He breathed sharply, heavily, one hand resting on his stomach, as he watched Jira and Isaiah say goodbye. 

“Everything OK?” Liam asked before he could stop himself. 

He supposed he could pass it off as concern for how it might affect the campaign or even for Jira, but truth was, he was worried about Calder too. He couldn’t imagine how it must feel to go through so many upheavals in such a short time. 

Calder shrugged, then focused on Liam. “Fine, I guess,” he replied, his expression not quite convincing. “I don’t know. I was just getting used to Tia, you know? Just starting to feel like she wasn’t…a threat. Now there’s him too.”

“A threat to you?” Liam asked, not quite understanding. He wondered how Calder could even think that. How could he not see how much Jira adored him? Needed him? He barely knew her and it was so obvious to him. 

“Jira never had a – woman in a parental role,” Calder tried to explain. He glanced at Liam, then looked down, seeming almost embarrassed. “Harrison and I always fought so hard against that line of reasoning, those people who said we would…harm her or something, because we were both men. We worked so hard to prove that we could be nurturing and all those things that are supposedly maternal, that it wasn’t gender-specific. But…I don’t know. I am – was – am afraid that Tia gives her something that I can’t. And yet, it’s kind of easier to accept that at the same time. Because she _does_ offer different perspectives and different life experiences and maybe that _is_ something that Jira needs. As her parent, I should be happy that she has that in her support system now. But Isaiah…if he can give her something that I can’t, or that Harrison couldn’t, then…what’s the explanation for that? Did we fail as fathers then?” 

Liam didn’t know quite what to say. Not only was that the most words Calder had ever said to him, but it was also incredibly personal. He blinked, searching for a response. Finally, he just said, “From what I can tell, you definitely didn’t fail. You’re…one of the best fathers I’ve ever met.”

Calder looked up at him, his expression both surprised and touched, not to mention surprisingly vulnerable. Liam blinked, not sure what to do next. He was both relieved and disappointed when Jira suddenly appeared. 

“Ready to go home?” she asked. 

Calder jumped slightly at her interruption, then turned towards her. He forced a smile and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Yep, let’s go, punchkin.” He glanced at Liam again and offered him an awkward nod. “Ah, thank you.”

Liam gulped and bobbed his head and overall just bombed at basic social interaction. He managed to give a slightly more coherent response to Jira’s goodbye. He stepped aside to let them pass and then forced himself not to turn to watch them leave. He almost made it, too, finally giving in when they were just stepping through the door. 

Liam sighed, strangely angry at himself. He didn’t know why he was letting himself get so distracted, so flustered by a guy who had made it more than clear that he didn’t want anything to do with him.

**

“Oh, rookie mistake.”

Jira jumped slightly, but thankfully she didn’t give her tongue a paper cut. She turned to see who had just spoken to her.

“Hi, Mr. Bhatt,” she greeted him. 

She didn’t really know him, but he seemed nice enough. And, she guessed as he sat down next to her with another box of letters and envelopes, she was about to get to know him at least a bit better. He smiled as he handed her a clear tube with a sponge at one end, then he focused on his own materials again.

“You’ll run out of spit before you run out envelopes,” he told her. “And the glue tastes horrible.”

Jira laughed. “Thanks,” she said, leaning forward to dab the sponge along the top edge of the next envelope in her pile. 

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Mr. Bhatt said. “I thought Tia said you had plans with Isaiah today.”

Jira scowled. “No, I’ll stick with the dad I have, thanks.”

Mr. Bhatt raised a curious eyebrow, but he didn’t push. Maybe it was because of that that Jira actually told him.

“He thinks my dad is in hell,” she said tersely, ignoring as Mr. Bhatt looked up at her in surprise. “Because of The Gay.”

Mr. Bhatt nodded once, focusing back on his task. “Ah.”

“So, I mostly came to work on this as an apology for not believing Tia’s warnings.”

He smiled softly, folding a letter and sticking it in an envelope before replying. “She has a horrible habit of always being right.”

“Ugh, don’t you hate people like that?”

Mr. Bhatt laughed. “She has good qualities to make up for it.” 

“How long have you known her?” Jira asked. 

“Oh, about six years,” Mr. Bhatt replied, reaching out for another letter from his box. “I was finishing up my degree when she first ran for alderman, and I volunteered for her campaign. She got elected and offered me a permanent job right around the time I graduated. I had just been hired to teach at your school, actually, But I took a chance on this instead.”

“Teach what?” 

“English.”

Jira nodded, almost self-deprecatingly. “I suppose that makes sense. Any regrets?”

Before he could answer, Jira heard her name being called. She turned to see that her dad had just walked into the campaign headquarters. She waved at him, then held up a finger that she then pointed at the table to let him know she was almost done. They’d pick up some dinner and then go home to hang out just the two of them and not think about Isaiah at all. He nodded in understanding, just before his gaze slipped past her and landed on Mr. Bhatt. He looked away again quickly, focusing on the buttons and pamphlets on the table by the door. 

Jira turned back to her last few envelopes and saw Mr. Bhatt still looking in the direction of her dad. He shifted his attention to her, smiled quickly, and then went back to work.

“Maybe some,” he said. 

It took her a moment to remember what they were talking about. She was curious about his response, wondering what his regrets were, but she thought maybe it was too personal of a question. Besides, her dad was waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

“Oh boy,” Daniel observed, as he skimmed the news alert on his phone. 

They were walking towards the community center where Tia was giving a speech that afternoon. With what he just read, he questioned whether it was a good idea to attend after all. He suspected one particular sound bite hadn’t gone over well with some members of the general public. He wondered if Bhatt had written it, or if Tia had gone off the cuff. 

“What?”

Daniel glanced at Jira, then exhaled. “Did you see this quote from Tia’s thing the other day?” 

“No, what?”

He focused on his phone again, even as he sidestepped around a pedestrian going the other direction. 

“Together,” he read aloud, “we can teach the police how to protect and serve a community.”

“Ha! I love it.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing the Blue Lives crowd didn’t.”

Just then, they turned the corner and Daniel discovered he was right. The group protesting outside the community center was small, but it was made up of the kind of people he absolutely would have expected. He wondered how many of them were wearing clothing decorated with Confederate flags. And he guessed the handful of cops “monitoring” the situation were not going to be too sympathetic to anyone who disagreed with the mob.

Daniel pocketed his phone and scanned the scene carefully. There was enough space for them to get through and to the building, as long as the protesters didn’t move closer to them. That was probably wishful thinking, though, because they’d probably be recognized fairly quickly. He inhaled deeply, wondering if they should just turn around.

“Dad?” Jira asked, when she realized he had slowed his pace.

He sighed, knowing that Jira likely would interpret any caution on his part as a challenge for her to rebel against. Nonetheless, he reached out to take her hand.

“Stay close to me.”

She indulged him quickly enough for him to realize that she was a little nervous. Maybe they should just leave. 

By then, though, they were close enough for people on the outskirts of the group to spot them. Daniel tuned out as many of their shouted taunts as he could, and they were almost to the steps leading to the door when he had to respond. Someone had just threatened Jira, and he wouldn’t let that slide. 

“Dad!” Jira called out in alarm as he turned and moved back towards the man who had just – 

Before he could confront the jackass, a hand on his shoulder pulled him back and out of the way. Daniel stumbled on the step, nearly falling even as Bhatt got in front of him and urged him back. Daniel watched in surprise as Bhatt then faced the protester himself. They exchanged some words that Daniel couldn’t quite make out, as they were drowned out by shouts from the other protesters and Jira nearly sobbing for him as she tugged on his arm. 

Ethan and Suzanne came running out of the building just as the man attacked Bhatt. They grappled, neither one quite getting the upper hand before a cop pulled them apart, while the other cops got between them and everyone else. Daniel watched in horror, but not exactly surprise, as the cop tackled Bhatt to the ground, knelt on him and cuffed him. He heard the others behind him shouting out against the treatment, arguing for Bhatt’s innocence, and he was somewhat shocked to realize he was yelling the same thing. 

It did no good, though, and Daniel watched helplessly as they dragged Bhatt to his feet and led him to a cruiser. They stuffed him in the backseat, even as the remaining cops finally forced the group to disperse. 

Daniel turned to face the others, heart racing as he checked on Jira. He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly.

“I’m OK,” she said into his chest. “Dad – don’t ever – ”

He pulled away, not really registering her statements. Hands wrapped around her shoulders, he held her back. “Honey, I’ve gotta go.”

“Dad, no!”

“I’ve gotta make sure that Liam – Mr. Bhatt – is OK.” he glanced up at Ethan and Suzanne. “Can you keep her with you? Don’t take her home.”

Ethan nodded, reaching out for Jira. She resisted, but not enough to actually break free. 

Daniel turned around and hurried down the steps. He could hear Jira shouting for him, but he couldn’t stay with her. The thought of Bhatt at the mercy of the police filled him with dread that he knew was only partly because of what had happened to Harrison. He wasn’t ready to admit to any other reason, not yet. But he couldn’t leave him alone if there was something he could do to help, especially considering Bhatt was only involved because he had been trying to help them, to protect Jira. To protect Daniel himself, in all honesty. 

But there was nothing he could do except wait. For hours. His frustration only grew when he realized they had just kept Bhatt there because they could, with apparently no intention of actually filing any charges against him. Bhatt looked exhausted, yet resigned, when he explained that to Daniel. He also looked vaguely surprised to see him, which Daniel supposed made a lot of sense. 

He didn’t know how to explain it himself, though, so he just asked Bhatt if he needed help getting home. Bhatt tilted his head, looking at him with a small, curious quirk of his lips that wasn’t quite a smile. Then, he shook his head, closed his eyes briefly, and sighed.

“No. Thanks, Daniel.”

It was a little odd to hear Bhatt call him by his first name. Odd, but nice. Daniel felt his heart beat a little faster when he replied.

“Thank you, Liam.”

After one more moment of eye contact, Liam turned away and left the station. Daniel looked around at the signs on the walls he had memorized by then, not quite certain what had just happened or whether he and Liam were on the way to becoming friends or something. But for the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. And considering the events of the day, that was rather inexplicable.

**

Daniel threw his arms up, cheering as loudly as he could when he heard Tia announced as the winner. The last few days had been a whirlwind, with the settlement being finalized and the election and everything. He knew it would take him a while to sort everything out in his mind and his heart, but…it felt like things were resolved. More or less. Like they were moving on.

Of course, Tia going off to D.C. to become a senator would mean they would have to get used to a _new_ normal, but it was one both he and Jira were looking forward to.

Jira.

She was next to him, the happiest he’d seen her in a long time. Beaming with pride, jumping up and down. She turned to him when she sensed him looking at her, and they pulled each other into a hug. That’s when they were joined by Tia, Ethan and Suzanne. They started working their way around the group, everyone getting hugs and cheering through tears of joy. In the chaos, Liam showed up, one hand over the mouthpiece of a cell phone. 

He shouted something at Tia that Daniel couldn’t make out over the sound of the party, but she seemed to understand. She took the phone, stepping away and putting her free hand to her other ear to try to hear the person on the other end. At the same time, Ethan clapped a hand on Liam’s shoulder, shouting something about how it was a party and Liam should maybe consider not working for five whole minutes.

Daniel grinned at Liam’s answering laugh, and the way Ethan wrapped him in a bear hug. He didn’t quite know what he felt, when Jira reached out to hug Liam next. And then – quite unplanned and alarmingly enjoyable – Daniel found himself hugging Liam as well. In his mind, he was pushed back to that day that he had tried so hard to forget, those few minutes he had felt Liam’s body against his and – 

Liam stepped back but didn’t quite let go of him. Daniel stared at him, the smile fading from his own face as his eyes dropped to Liam’s mouth. Liam pressed his lips together and swallowed, and Daniel – 

Liam was pulled away from him suddenly, as Suzanne claimed him for her own hug.

**

“You wanted to see me?” Liam asked, leaning into Tia’s office, which she had started to pack up.

In the weeks since the election, he had a hard time believing it was all real. Despite shifting his attention from the campaign to all the things they would need to do to get her office set up in D.C., he still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the fact that they’d be moving there eventually. Tia, of course, would need to go back and forth between D.C. and Chicago, but much of her staff wouldn’t necessarily have to. There’d be people in both cities, working on different tasks. 

When the idea of the Senate run first came up, Tia, Ethan, Suzanne and Liam sat around her living room, brainstorming ideas for the campaign and dreaming about what they’d accomplish if she won. Back then, the prospect of D.C. had been unimaginably exciting. Now…well, now, Liam found it kind of sad that he’d be leaving his home soon. His family. His friends. He had this sort of feeling like he was missing out on something, or that there was something holding him back from – 

“Liam?” Tia’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Liam shook his head and focused on her. “Sorry. You wanted to see me?” he repeated.

“Yes,” she said, smiling a bit, maybe at his unusual level of distraction. But she turned serious suddenly, making Liam a touch nervous. “Sit down.”

He did, looking across the desk at her curiously. She breathed in and out slowly, then folded her hands together and rested them in front of her. 

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh-oh,” Liam joked, in a way that wasn’t really a joke.

She smiled quickly before continuing. “The thing is…I know we’ve talked before, a lot, about what D.C. would be like, and what all of us would do, and what kind of staff positions we would need to fill.”

“Mm-hmm.” Liam paused, not quite sure where she was going but still feeling like something was off. “Did you want to talk about potential candidates for different jobs?”

“Yes. One job in particular.”

“OK. What job?”

He didn’t dare predict what she was thinking, which was why when she said Communications, he nearly fell off the chair. His jaw dropped open with surprise and more than a little hurt.

“What?” he whispered, laughing shortly even though it was absolutely not funny. 

“I know,” Tia said, holding out one hand in a calming gesture. “I know we always said – but I…I want you to run things here in Chicago.”

Liam struggled for a response. Part of him knew it was, in some ways, a job with more responsibility and more opportunity to actually implement different policies and work with the constituents, rather than just write speeches and press releases. A part of him was even happy that he’d get to stay here, although he still couldn’t quite put his finger on why he unexpectedly wanted to. 

“This is not because I don’t want you in D.C. It’s not a punishment, or anything,” Tia explained. “But you’ve devoted yourself to me and my career for years now. It’s time for you to focus on your own life for a while.”

“I can do that in D.C. too.”

“I doubt it, actually. Doesn’t seem like a place really suited for finding, you know, love.”

Liam burst into laughter, blushing a bit, as he finally caught what she had been getting at. She occasionally would get on these kicks where she decided she needed to get him a boyfriend, something he hadn’t really had since Bradley back during the very first campaign, who lost interest in politics around the same time he lost interest in Liam. 

“Oh, that’s what you mean. Tia, really, I – ”

“Specifically, I think it’d be pretty hard for you to get to know a certain history teacher better.”

He was suddenly speechless. He stared at Tia, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find a way to downplay or deny or defend – 

“Yeah, no one’s buying it, Liam.”

Ultimately, he wasn’t confused that she had noticed _whatever_ was going on between Daniel and him. He was, however, a bit surprised when he realized that it was exactly that _whatever_ that explained all those niggling feelings telling him he needed to say in Chicago. 

It really was annoying how Tia was always right about everything.

**

“Yeah, just a second,” Daniel called out as the person on the other side of the door rang the bell again. He had been in the office when the visitor had first pressed it, so it had taken him a bit to get there. Honestly, he had assumed it was someone selling something, so he had thought about just pretending no one was home.

He was glad he didn’t listen to that impulse when he pulled the door open and saw Liam waiting. Daniel blinked in surprise, but he certainly wasn’t upset or anything that he was there. Pleased anticipation might be a more accurate description of the way he felt. 

But “Hi” was about all he could manage to say.

“Hi,” Liam replied. When Daniel failed to respond, he gestured awkwardly. “…Um, can I come in?”

Daniel shook his head at himself, closing his eyes briefly. “Yes. Sorry. Come in.”

He stepped aside to let Liam into the house, but he was still close enough to feel Liam brush against him as he passed. Daniel took a deep breath to calm down as he closed the door and waited for Liam to explain why he was there.

“Is Jira here?” He asked instead, his voice trembling a bit with obvious nerves.

“No, she’s out,” Daniel said. Then, he furrowed his brow as he remembered Jira’s friends had taken her out to cheer her up because Tia had left. Which meant that, really, Liam should have left too. Frankly, Daniel maybe had spent the last several weeks emphatically _not_ thinking about how Liam would be moving halfway across the country soon. Unable to stop himself, he asked, “Shouldn’t you be in D.C.?”

“I’m not going to D.C.” Liam blurted. He made eye contact with Daniel and then glanced away again. “At least not right away. Maybe when Tia becomes president.”

Liam’s laugh at his own joke was more strained than sincere, but Daniel couldn’t even force a laugh at all. He was still so bowled over by the fact that Liam was staying in town. That he’d be here and maybe that meant that they could – 

“I’m going to be staying in Chicago,” Liam continued unnecessarily, but Daniel let him, because as Liam talked, he stepped closer to Daniel. 

“Oh.” 

“So, I thought…I thought…maybe I’d ask you to dinner.”

 _Oh,_ Daniel replied in his head. It took him a moment to realize he hadn’t said that aloud, that he was completely frozen and speechless. His inner voice yelled at him to respond, to say something, so Liam didn’t get the wrong idea, but he could _not_ move. 

Liam faltered a bit, the hand at his side twitching with nerves. “I don’t think what happened between us was a mistake,” he said quietly. “I think it’s something we both wanted and it’s something worth exploring. If I’m wrong – ”

“You’re not wrong.” It perhaps wasn’t the best response Daniel could give, but he at least managed to say something that time.

Liam grinned, looking down at the floor. Daniel watched as a blush rose to Liam’s cheeks, and he couldn’t stop his own smile. 

“So…” Liam made eye contact again. “Dinner?”

Daniel stepped forward, closing the rest of the space between them. Liam had done more than enough, coming over and breaking the ice between them and unequivocally asking him out. Daniel needed to do something himself, to make his own intentions and feelings clear. So, he hooked one hand around Liam’s neck and held him still as he leaned in and kissed him sweetly and softly.

“That’s so neither of us has to worry about whether to do that after dinner,” he mumbled against Liam’s lips. 

Liam nodded. “Got it,” he whispered. “Good to have that out of the way.”

Neither of them moved, except for Daniel lifting his other hand to Liam’s side. They shared breath for a few moments. Daniel wanted so badly to kiss him again. 

“Maybe we just order something instead of going out?” he suggested. 

He supposed some part of him really did mean so they would have privacy and time to talk. But when Liam nodded rapidly and pulled him into a kiss that was anything but sweet and soft, Daniel didn’t put up a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, well, I'm off to work on fic for another fandom for a while. It's also small but fingers crossed there will be a bit more feedback and engagement from any readers ( _ahem_ , see Author's Notes on an earlier fic for more of my thoughts on that matter). I have one more story in the back of my head for Daniel & Liam (a movie-inspired AU), so I might come back to it eventually.


End file.
